In this series of articles, we’ll profile conservation organizations focused on ocean protection. Today we’re chatting with Roberta Dixon-Valk, co-founder of Take 3 for the Sea.
What does Take 3 For the Sea do?
I am a project manager with Take 3 for the Sea, an organization I co–founded in 2009. The Take 3 message is simple. Take three pieces of trash with you when you leave the beach, waterway — or anywhere — and you have made a difference. Our organizational aim is to stop the impacts of plastic pollution through education and participation.
Take 3, a non-profit charity, is achieving growing global success through its simple, empowering messages of personal responsibility for the growing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans, waterways and broader environment.
How and why did it start?
As a marine ecologist and a diver, I was acutely aware of the plastic problem in the marine environment for a long time. I had spent countless hours removing plastics I found on the beach and presenting the issue at the Central Coast Whale Dreamers Festival to anyone who would listen.
Take 3 was the culmination of a shared concern about plastic marine pollution and a conversation (over a bottle of wine) with Amanda Marechal, a friend and surfing enthusiast. We decided everyone needed to be part of the solution and Take 3 was ‘doable’ by the average person in Australia. By getting everyone to “Take 3” pieces of plastic litter, we figured we would be about 66 million pieces of litter better off in Australia.
We later joined forces with environmentalist Tim Silverwood and Take 3 officially grew from two to three individuals. Three seems to be the critical number as, once we became a team, the momentum really started to build. In 2011, we were successful in the Taronga Conservation Society’s Inaugural Green Grant Award of $50,000. This continued Take 3’s trajectory onward and upward.
What are the main actions and areas of focus?
Take 3 is fundamentally an education campaign and works directly with local councils, state government departments, businesses, schools (pre, primary and secondary), surf life-saving clubs, and community/recreational groups to increase awareness of plastic pollution, reduce waste and prevent sources of pollution.
Take 3 has traditionally focused our energies on schools, surf clubs and social media. We have some wonderful school educational and waste reduction programs, including ‘Project Green Sea Turtle’ and ‘What’s in Our Lagoon? Citizen Science Seek Micro-plastics.’
Our education programs currently engage over 50,000 students from over 70 schools each year and engage over 50,000 community and surf club members each year with the aim of helping to drastically reduce plastic pollution on campus or in the local community.
Social media has also played a huge part in reaching out to start the conversation in reducing our single-use-plastic footprint. Take 3 delivers awareness through a range of communication platforms. We have a committed digital audience of over 70,000 social media followers (as of July 2017) and 2,500 unique web visitors each month, who are committed to adopting simple measures to reduce waste and plastic pollution. Take 3’s simple, positive messaging devolves responsibility to anyone and everyone to help solve a complex global problem.
How many people are involved and what are their roles?
Take 3 is fortunate to have lots of committed people contributing now. Our wonderful team consists of:
- Tim Silverwood: Co–founder and CEO
- Amanda Marechal: Co–founder and Education Manager
- Roberta Dixon-Valk: Co–founder and Programs Manager
- Giselle Coates: Administration Manager
- Sarah Beard: Surf Life Saving Project Manager
- Chantelle Hayek: Administration Officer
- Madeleine Bell: Communications Assistant
- Michelle Blewitt: Northern Beaches Coordinator
We also have a fantastic board and numerous other people contributing in a myriad of ways to help us raise the profile of this insidious and exponentially growing issue – plastic marine pollution.
How can people help?
If you see plastic litter in the environment – remove it. Take three (or more) pieces of trash and you are making a difference to our oceans. Our oceans are downhill from everywhere. This means we are all responsible for trying to stop the eight million tons of new plastic that enters our oceans each year. Get involved with our “Pick it up. Snap it. Share it.” campaign to become one of our citizen scientists.
Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and remove as much plastic as you can. Refusing and reducing are the key actions. Looking at your own plastic footprint and working out how you can eradicate or minimize it is critical.
